


This is The Way (to The Center of The Labyrinth)

by AngelGlass



Category: Labyrinth (1986), The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crossover, F/M, Jareth and Sarah are in a relationship, Mando running the Labyrinth, mando being a dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:29:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28760325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelGlass/pseuds/AngelGlass
Summary: When The Mandalorian wishes The Child away in the heat of frustration, who else shows up but The Goblin King himself? The Mandalorian will do anything to take The Child back to safety, or so he says. Will he succeed? You should watch Labyrinth before reading, but no need to watch The Mandalorian, or even be super familiar with Star Wars to understand this story.
Comments: 26
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If someone told me even on the last day of December 2020 that my first fanfic of 2021 will be a crossover of Labyrinth with The Mandalorian, I'd probably laugh at you, but here we are. It started off as a meme that has turned into a full-fledged story. I hope that you will enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed writing it!
> 
> If you have not seen The Mandalorian, don't worry, there's not a lot here that gets into the series. Everything that you need to know will be explained along the way. There are some season 1 spoilers but nothing in great detail. The only spoiler for season 2 I have is the revelation of the names of The Child/Baby Yoda and The Mandalorian. This story would takes place between season 1 and 2 of the show.
> 
> Thank you for taking a chance in reading my stories! Any and all reviews are appreciated.

"Hey, I said stop that!"

The Kid looked at him, and eyes downcast. Then, he started to whine, his little lips trembling and his ears drooping.

"I told you, you can't eat that. It's dangerous." The Mandalorian tossed the strange-looking plant away from them and kept on walking. "How many times are you going to ignore what I say?"

The Child trotted next to him, making squeaky, grumbling noises. In an act of defiance, he sat on The Mandalorian's cape, not moving.

"Kid, we need to go." He turned around to pick him up. "Don't do this to me."

The Child kept struggling in his arms, throwing a bit of a tantrum. He even reached out his hand and slapped The Mandalorian's breastplate. His little forehead wrinkled even more and his ears pointed sideways in defiance.

Giving up, he put The Child down.

He was not the kind of person who should be caring for a child. All he needed and wanted was to find other Mandalorians or anyone who knew what species this child is so he can give him away to be raised properly and not drag him across the galaxy on his bounty hunting trips.

This trip was hard enough already. Due to The Kid playing with his controls on The Razor Crest, the ship malfunctioned and landed on a strange planet. Now, he had to go and find who the hell lived here and who would help him with fixing his ship.

In a moment of weakness, he sighed, looking upwards at the sky and repeating words that he had heard once as he passed by a group of travelers in an inn. "I wish the goblins would take you away right now."

The moment the words left his lips, he felt cold. A haunting chill cascaded up his spine as the sky darkened.

He turned around swiftly. "Kid?"

The Child was nowhere to be found. He turned on the infrared tracker, seeing where their footprints had been then stopped. As if the kid had just disappeared into thin air.

Sneaky laughter emerged, heightening his senses. He knew that they were there, but for some reason, his tracker wasn't picking up the heat signal. He took out his blaster. "Show yourself!"

The little buggers appeared, one after the other. They giggled and skirted around him in a teasing sort of dance.

"Ooh, strong guy!" One said.

"Shiny!" Another poked at the armor by his feet.

He tried to shoot at them, but for once, they easily evaded him. It didn't make any sense! He killed the most dangerous assassins, and yet, these creatures seemed to disappear into thin air every time he should have hit them.

One grabbed onto his cloak and he nearly shot it in the leg, the creature yelping and scurrying away.

He heard another cry from a kind of bird, jolting him to attention.

A barn owl.

The owl landed in front of him, its wings wrapped around its body as it grew amazingly, transforming into a person. A man, or at least, something close to one. He didn't seem quite human, with something electric buzzing about him.

The man was donning all black, save for a silver and gold amulet that sat in the middle of his chest. He was covered in armor, his black cape whipping in wind that seemed to only affect him. His eyes had upswept markings, his ears pointed, and his lips curled into a sneering smile. He was in heeled boots, but even if he wasn't, The Mandalorian knew that the man would still tower over him.

This inhuman man was the one who took The Child. The Mandalorian didn't know _how_ he knew, just that he did. Fury built in his chest, the words coming out in a command. "Give him back."

"Oh, Mando," the man crooned the nickname that his allies and enemies called him. His voice matched the magic that emanated from him. It was a voice that could hypnotize almost anyone. He adjusted his gloves, sparks of magic flaring from them. "You wished him away, did you not?"

"I didn't mean it."

He sort of did, in a moment of frustration, but how was he supposed to know that goblins and magic actually existed? Who was this sorcerer with dark armor, and where did he take the kid? Was he one of those Jedi?

"I've heard that one before." The Sorcerer's voice dripped with mockery, his eyes fading a little, seeming to recall a memory from long ago.

The Mandalorian did not care about this sorcerer's reminiscence. All he wanted was The Child. "Where is he?"

The Sorcerer pointed behind him, a red sky appearing out of nowhere. Beyond them was a large labyrinth, with the castle in the middle. "He's in my castle. If you want him back, then you must run my Labyrinth, reaching the center in 13 hours. If you do not, he will be mine forever."

The Mandalorian turned back to the Sorcerer. "I don't have time for this."

"No, you do not." With a simple flick of the wrist, a crystal appeared between his fingers. "Just forget about the baby and you can have your dreams!"

Bribery? Pathetic. The Mandalorian put his hand near his blaster, ready to shoot at any given moment. "Give me back the kid, and I'll let you walk without a scratch on your face."

The Sorcerer just chuckled. "You don't want to try that, Mando. Trust me. Even if you manage to kill me, you won't get him back unless you run the Labyrinth in the allotted time."

"Look, what do you want in exchange for him? Let's bypass this 13-hour timeframe and get down to it." He was not unfamiliar with the likes of him, people who took hostages and demanded games for their own entertainment.

The Sorcerer stalked closer, his lips just a breath away from touching his beskar helmet. "You must complete the task in 13 hours, and I warn you, only one has ever solved my Labyrinth."

He stepped back, a predator's grin on his face as he faded. "This is The Way."

While usually a composed man, The Mandalorian did not take kindly to someone, especially an enemy, mocking him by using the sacred words of his people. He saw red, taking a moment to compose himself, and walked on.

"Hang in there, kid," he said into the air. "I'll be there soon. 13 hours? Yeah right. I'll get through this in an hour, tops."

* * *

Jareth appeared in the throne room, waving his hand to magically change out of his armor into something more comfortable. As usual, the goblins were surrounding the little green child, who was shirking away from them in fear.

What was not usual was a woman sitting next to The Child. This was a new addition, one that Jareth was very happy to have.

"It's okay." Sarah held her hands out to The Child, who shrank from her. "You're okay, no one will hurt you."

He curled into himself even farther.

She gave up her current tactic. "How about some food? Are you hungry?" She had a bowl of uneaten soup, soup meant for her that she held out to The Child.

Of course his Sarah would be so kind as to give up her own meal for one in need.

"There you go." Sarah fed The Child a spoonful. He carefully took the bowl, drinking from it.

Jareth walked out of the shadows, making himself known. "I see that you are taking interest in our newest Wished-Away. My next subject."

Sarah turned to him, smiling as she patted The Child's head. "He is pretty cute."

Jareth came to kiss her, smiling as their lips met. "You seem to have a question in mind."

Sarah looked at the crystal, still floating in the air. It was showing Mando being frustrated at the endless corridor. "Yeah, actually. You didn't push him about accepting his dreams like you did me. Why?"

The corner of Jareth's mouth tilted upward in a smirk. "Because, Love, you are different from he. He does not believe in dreams as you. He was not easily tempted by them, at least right now. Maybe that will change later. Instead, I played to his confidence. He's a bounty hunter with incredible skill, and even after his stint with the goblins, he's still sure that he can easily win this."

"Yup, and he's trying to shoot down the walls." Sarah shook her head, looking into the crystal where Mando was currently doing just that, adding in a few kicks and detonators.

_"OWIE!"_

The couple turned their heads, seeing The Child slap his empty bowl onto one of the goblins, who was stupidly curious enough to tug on his ear. He made some babbling noises, annoyed that anyone would have the gall to touch him.

Before either of them could take control of the situation, The Child shoved his hand out, an unseen force throwing the goblin backwards. Every other goblin ran away screaming, leaving a path for the one goblin to head straight into the wall.

The goblin slowly got up, a bit dazed at hitting said wall face first. She looked at The Child, giggling with delight. "Wow! That was more fun than getting Kingy's kick!"

"Are you sure about that?" Jareth stood up with laughter, kicking goblins left and right, each of them screaming for more.

 _"Magic Dance! Magic Dance!"_ They chanted to their King.

Jareth pretended to think for a moment, then obliged, pulling Sarah up to twirl her around as they sang their hearts out.

Even The Child was purring and squealing with delight along with them, momentarily forgetting that he was separated from his usual caretaker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't ever say so, but I'd like to think that Sarah is in her early to mid 30s here, more mature and full of wisdom from her life experiences. Thanks again for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to add: This story is 5 chapters long and is already finished so it will be updated daily. Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate it so much. If you want to leave a review, whether you have an account or not, I would be very appreciative!

He wasn't having much luck.

Mando couldn't understand how the corridor could be so endless. It certainly wasn't that large when he looked at it from the outside. Maybe it had to do with some Jedi thing that he had been told about.

Truth to be told, he had no idea what Jedis even were aside from their mind abilities and that they had fought against the Mandalorians and that The Kid was most likely to be one of them. If Jedis were as conniving as that Sorcerer, then Mando wasn't sure what he was going to do with him. He couldn't just leave an innocent with someone like that.

He was going to have to find another way.

But first, he had to go through this giant maze.

He used his scanner again, not finding any buttons or anything. As far as he could tell, the technology here, if there were any, were any, were quite primitive.

So why was he having such a difficult time? He should have been able to blast through this place to the center of the Labyrinth.

Mando put his hands up, about to slap the wall in frustration.

Except the slap never came.

He fell through, almost thrown out of balance as he realized that the wall wasn't solid, that there was an illusion which sent him to another corridor. An opening.

This was something new to him. Whether it was magic or that force stuff, it was a unique set of challenges that he had never encountered before.

He didn't like that.

At least there aren't any droids around. He hated droids.

* * *

"Hey, leave him alone!" Sarah snapped at a goblin who shrank away from her. "Grogu needs to sleep. He's tired from you guys ogling at him all the time."

"Grogu?" Jareth leaned over Sarah as she tucked a blanket around the little one in his crib.

"That's his name." Sarah stood up, folding her arms proudly. "There. All tucked in."

Jareth looked sideways at her. "How do you know?"

 _He_ knew because it came with the position of being Goblin King. He did not know everything about a Wished-Away or a runner, but enough to certainly know their names.

Sarah made a face, tilting her head to the side in thought. "I don't know. I just do. He responds to that name so I'm guessing I got it right."

Jareth raised his eyebrows, nodding slowly. "Interesting."

"Why?" Sarah put her hands on her hips, her eyes demanding an answer.

So feisty, as always.

"Maybe some of your powers are coming in earlier than expected?" He sat down, sprawled out in his throne, one leg on the arm and the other on the floor as he tapped his boot with his riding crop suggestively.

Sarah rolled her eyes at his leering smirk, his eyes traveling up and down her body in approval. "That doesn't make sense though."

"Sarah, you won the Labyrinth, that doesn't make sense either especially against someone as powerful as me. We don't need answers for everything." He patted his thigh. "Why don't you come sit with me?"

She couldn't help but smile. Walking to the throne, she sat down, avoiding leaning back so that she didn't touch his body.

Jareth had other plans. He pulled the leg that was on the armchair towards himself as he got into an upright position, pushing his chest into Sarah's back. His arms surrounded her, hands interlocked around her abdomen. His hair tickled her shoulder and his teeth next to her ear, moving even closer even as she moved her hair away. "You are such a tease, Love."

Sarah grinned, knowing full well the effect she had on him. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just avoiding you. You bite."

"I thought you liked bites?" He pressed his lips to the curve of her neck, smiling as her little hairs stood up from his touch. "I recall you enjoying them last night." He inhaled her sweet scent, giving her neck a light nip.

"Hey, we have a Runner to keep track of." She gestured to the floating crystal where Mando was now entering the Bog of Eternal Stench. "Damn, we have so much to repair once his run is done," Sarah sighed.

"Now you know how I felt when you destroyed Goblin City," he mumbled. "At least I know he can't kill anyone due to the Labyrinth's magic. It's going to be a long thirteen hours."

* * *

After that stint at the endless corridor, Mando found himself feeling quite lost in a large forest. Every time he looked at the castle, it just didn't feel like he was getting much closer.

He found himself deeper in the forest, and, what was that smell?

"Oh no," he coughed, trying to wave the stench away. Why weren't the filters in his mask working?

He went to turn around, only to find a dead end.

"What the hell?" He tried to push at it, but it wouldn't give. He tried to climb it, but just as he tried with the endless corridor, all it did was make him slide down.

 _I guess this is the direction I have to go,_ he thought to himself, turning back around...

...And almost fell.

A rock gave away where his foot had been, and directly below him was some sort of bubbling swamp, making disgusting noises that he would have found funny when he was Foundling.

But the smell, oh boy. That was _not_ funny.

Looking around, he saw a bridge. It seemed too easy, too convenient to have a bridge here. Why _is_ there a bridge here? Was this some part of that Sorcerer's menacing game? That had to be the reason, there's no way anyone would voluntarily come here.

Halfway down the bridge, and-

_"HIYA!"_

A tiny, fox-looking thing jumped in front of him at the end of the bridge, swinging his staff around. He was dressed in colorful clothing, a tricorn hat with a feather, and an eyepatch.

"You, good sir, are not to cross this bridge!" He put his hands on his hips, legs spread shoulder-width apart in what Mando supposed was a power stance. "I, Sir Didymus, am the guard to the bridge and thou may not cross without my permission!"

"Look, just move." Mando felt no threat from this tiny creature, although he was on guard anyway, just in case. He was the first creature he encountered besides that Sorcerer, who knows what he could be like? "I wouldn't want to hurt you."

"Ha!" The Fox exclaimed, shaking his staff. "Hurt me, why, I shall have everyone know that I am strong and a Knight in His Majesty's army! If thou dost not stop, I shall fight thee to the death!"

In response, Mando drew his blaster and shot near the feet of the little knight, purposefully missing. The knight jumped with a strong _"AHHHHH!_ " which gave Mando time to shoot out his grappling hook to the tree on the other side of the bridge. He pulled himself up and landed gracefully on the other side, continuing his journey to The Child.

"Come back here, fiend!" The knight gave a battle cry, trotting over with a growl, grabbing onto his leg. "Fight me with honor!"

Mando was more impressed than mad at the knight speedily climb up his body, trying to find a place to sink in his teeth, but said teeth kept on clashing with the beskar metal that made up his armor. Eventually, he found his way to Mando's upper body, his bite pulling at the scarf that he had wrapped around his neck.

Mando tried to pull him off, but it wasn't working. The stench from the swamp was making him dizzy and nauseous, his mind clouding.

After more bites, he was done with trying to be careful. Mando was going to finish him.

He pried him off his neck and held him out, away from his body. The knight kept struggling, wiggling around like a worm. "Leave me alone, or I will drop you in this swamp!"

"It is called a bog!" The knight barked at him. "I shall not leave thee alone, for it is not in my code of conduct! I shall fight thee, and I will die an honorable death if needs be! Surrender now!"

Mando almost felt bad for holding him over. Such a tiny creature. Still, he was more concerned for The Kid than whatever this thing was. "I'll give you one last chance. I'm dropping you now."

"Then I shall die honorably!"

"You asked for it."

_"I would not do that if I were you."_

That was the voice of The Sorcerer.

The voice echoed all around them. The Knight looked to a tree, the face of the Sorcerer seemingly carved ino it.

Except it was _moving_. It was definitely him, with the same marking on his eyes and sneering frown.

Mando didn't ask how that was even possible. He had seen crazy things in his life, and to question at the heat of the moment was sometimes the difference between life and death. "Why shouldn't I?" He still held the knight out.

"Thy Majesty!" The Knight bobbed his head slightly. "What a pleasant surprise, Sire!"

Mando took a good look at the tree again. _Majesty?_ The Sorcerer is a _king?_

If he was a king, then he must be more powerful than Mando had originally thought.

 _"You're not really in a place to negotiate, Mando,"_ The King said, his frown deepening. _"If you want to see The Child safe in your arms, then you will let Sir Didymus go, free of harm."_

The threat made his blood boil to a million degrees. "You hurt him, even so much as a scratch, and I will always hunt for you, understood? You will never be free from me."

_"Then you will put Sir Didymus down safely."_

He stared at The King, the two holding their gazes for a tense minute. Even Sir Didymus was silent.

Mando looked at Sir Didymus. He slowly put him down.

 _"I'm pleased that we have come to an agreement."_ The King smiled, the sneer coming back. The tree twisted back into the normal grains of bark, the face melting away.

"Some agreement," Mando muttered.

"Thou art spectacular!"

Mando found that Sir Didymus was standing in front of him now, taking his hat off with sweeping bow. "Never before had I ever fought such a worthy opponent, other than my Brother Ludo of course. Thou art a talented warrior and I would be proud to call thee my brother."

"Uh, thanks?" He had no idea if this was some sort of strange test. "Good luck guarding the bridge."

"But I shall help thee!" Sir Didymus trotted after him. "I shall fetch my noble steed and we will go to Goblin City to find your child."

"I think I can handle it myself, but thank you."

The truth was, he wasn't sure if he could anymore. In this place, unexplainable things happened. He thought that The Force or whatever The Kid had used was incredible, but to have passages that disappeared and reappear as well as that King or Sorcerer have the ability to shape-shift and fade away was another thing.

But what he _was_ sure of, was that he didn't want to be stuck with this babbling creature.

"My Brother, I insist!" Sir Didymus tapped his staff on Mando's leg to get his attention. "We are now bonded, and that bond is much more strong than my place as a knight, for what is a knight without a brotherhood? Or some sort of family?"

Mando kept on walking, hoping that his silence will make him shut up.

"If it is of any comfort," Sir Didymus yelled after him. "I aided The Champion through this Labyrinth. Her success has been written down in history, the goblins forever singing of her in their endless songs of ale!"

Mando turned around. "Champion?"

If Sir Didymus aided the one and only champion, maybe he was more useful than he appeared.

"Why yes, the honorable Lady Sarah," Sir Didymus said with pride. "Together, my brothers and I fended off the goblins that were in her way. She is intelligent and most noble, surviving the most dangerous of obstacles together. No doubt you and I will make it through!"

Well, at least that sounded promising. "Alright, I guess you can tag along."

"Excellent choice!" The knight put two fingers to his mouth and whistled. "Ambrosius!"

Mando wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he certainly wasn't expecting a sheepdog for the fox to ride on. He shrugged, as this was the least strange thing he had come into contact with so far.

"I am terribly sorry that thou must walk on thy own and without a noble steed," Sir Didymus said with remorse.

"It's fine, really." Mando walked beside Ambrosius the Dog. "Okay, where to now to get to the castle?"

* * *

"'That bond is much more strong than my place as a knight,' is that so, Sir Didymus?" Jareth pursed his lips together. "Sarah, why are your friends so intent on betraying me?"

"You knew that when you hired Didymus, he would care more about the knight's code than he would about loyalty to any institution," she said without much sympathy, leaning back into Jareth. "So tell me, what's the deal with Mando?"

Jareth played with her hair, recounting what the Labyrinth's magic had told him. Mando was a man named Din Djarin, an orphan who was adopted by a group of warriors called Mandalorians. His name wasn't known to many. He was a bounty hunter, rescuing Grogu when he wasn't supposed to. Now, he was tasked with sending Grogu back to his own kind, what ever that may mean. He had inadvertently bonded with Grogu, which they found interesting. He didn't even know Grogu's name due to the child's inability to speak.

Speaking of Grogu, his intelligence was quite interesting. He acted like a toddler at times but understood much more than that. Either way, he was a child and still needed to be cared for.

"If he's some sort of space warrior, how did he end up here?" Sarah asked.

"Remember how I told you that the Aboveground and Underground are parallel universes?"

"Yeah."

"His universe is the same, except the galaxy he lives in is quite far away. And yet, I still get wishes, even from a creature of a different galaxy."

"Wow, that's cool." Sarah got up a bit. "You'll have to tell me more some time."

"Indeed I will. It is a part of your training to know the history of this world."

He stretched, moving away from her. Sarah made a grunt of disappointment. "Where are you going?"

"To take a nap." He rubbed his temples. "I did not sleep last night due to the emergency over by the east villages. Would you like to join me in bed? We can nap together. Or you know, _not_ nap. I'm willing to forego a nap if you're in bed with me." He lifted his eyebrows suggestively.

Sarah rolled her eyes, although Jareth could see that the thought was appealing to her. There was no hiding her attraction from him. "Don't you have to be awake for Mando's run?"

"No, the Labyrinth will tell me if something is wrong." He tilted his head at her. "So, are you coming?"

"What about Grogu?" Sarah looked at him, who was still asleep.

"Put him in the room for Wished-Aways." Jareth waved dismissively. "He seems to be alright at the moment. We can put a crystal in there to monitor him. That's what I do with every child who is napping if I need to go. Or, we can get someone else to watch over him."

"You need to hire someone to have the position of caretaker." Sarah looked at Grogu. "You know, I think I'll stay here and monitor things. You go take your nap, you need it. I'll take care of Grogu. Besides, you said that I should watch Mando, right? Watching a Runner is a part of my training."

"Yes yes," Jareth said with a sigh. "Alright, you stay here. Let me know if you need anything."

When he left, Sarah watched Mando as he walked with Sir Didymus. She knew that Sir Didymus wouldn't have been harmed if he fell in the Bog, and Jareth might have let him fall in if it wasn't for her. He knew how upset she would have been to spend time with her friend if he stank permanently.

She felt a lot of compassion for Mando, having been in the same situation. While he seemed much more ruthless than she, she could tell that he had a true bond with Grogu. She watched as he trekked through many obstacles like the talking dam, the water sprites, the Wiseman and his hat, and many other obstacles that were made to fit him, obstacles and places that she hadn't seen her first time in the Labyrinth.

Grogu made a high pitch noise, sitting up in his crib. Sarah picked him up, holding him in her lap. "Hey little guy."

He warmed right up to Sarah, especially when she gave him the glowing crystal that Jareth had left for him, the glitter in it mesmerizing him. He reminded her of the goblins, but much more elegant and gentle than they.

Sarah looked into the crystal, seeing Mando talk with Sir Didymus again after a while of him being silent as Didymus chatted away. Grogu looked up suddenly, not tearing his eyes off of the crystal. He squealed and looked at Sarah with confusion.

 _"Wait, do you hear that?"_ Mando asked Sir Didymus.

 _"Hear what, Brother Mando?"_ Sir Didymus asked him, clearly not having heard anything.

 _"I guess your sense hearing is as good as your sense of smell,"_ Mando said dryly.

Sarah had to laugh at that. Sir Didymus was very sure that he had a keen sense of smell.

Grogu screeched, trying to talk to the crystal.

 _"Kid!"_ Mando yelled. _"I hear you! Where are you?"_

 _"He is in the castle, Brother,"_ Sir Didymus told him.

Sarah remembered how she heard Toby's cries as she was Running herself, thinking that he was in danger. Another trick of the Labyrinth, letting the Runner hear the child's cries or even happiness as they were being comforted. Often times, the Runner will believe that the child was either being tempted or would give up then if they feel that they are not fit to care for the child.

 _"I hear him though,"_ Mando insisted. _"I'm coming for you, kid!"_

Grogu started to cry, his face scrunching in pain as Mando was looking for him. It was as if Grogu was trying to pull him out of the crystal. He stretched his hand out, but all that happened was he made said crystal float.

Suddenly, it was all very clear to Sarah. Grogu and Mando had too strong of a bond. She could not see them separated. While Jareth may "know" of the bond, it was another to feel it, especially now that she knew part of Mando's lonely story.

She was going to do something about it.


	3. Chapter 3

"So, Mandalorians are race of Warriors of the Sky?" Sir Didymus said in awe. "Then, I am truly in the presence of my own."

"I suppose so," Mando said. "But more than sky, space itself. I wouldn't call us a race, we are a creed. It doesn't matter what species any of us are. I myself was a Foundling, adopted into my clan."

"So, thy brotherhood is a true brotherhood, where thou art part of the bond promise that is stronger than the bond of the blood."

"I suppose you can say that. This is The Way of the Mandalorian."

Sir Didymus kept on blabbing on about what it meant to be a knight as Mando's thoughts strayed towards The Child. He had just been an assignment. A Bounty. That's all he was. And still, Mando couldn't take his thoughts off him. He broke the rule of the Bounty Hunter's Guild to take him.

And now, he was here, in some strange land of magic with a Sorcerer/King that was making him run a giant maze.

Somewhere during his train of thought, he realized that Sir Didymus was no longer babbling by his side. It was so swift and sudden, without an exclamation of surprise from the little knight that Mando immediately brought out his blaster.

"Sir Didymus?" He pushed a few branches away, using his scanner to try to find him. No luck.

" _He he he he!_ "

He looked up just in time to see an orange thing right above him. Before it could descend on him, Mando grabbed its leg and threw it into the tree opposite of him. The momentum caused the creature to fly headfirst, a warped giggling emanating from its mouth as it slid down to the forest floor.

Except, he was somehow still holding the leg? No blood spilled either, how was that even possible?

"Hahahaha!" The orange creature got up. Now that he could see it clearly, it had all the colors of a fire, feathers all over its body, almost bird-like. "Now you take my leg off, we can take yours off!"

Using his instincts, Mando punched behind him, knocking another Orange away. They were able to take various parts of their body off, even their eyes. He had never seen anything like them before. Whatever he did, they just wouldn't die, their bodies would come off like pieces of a puzzle and easily rebuild!

He took the head of one of them off, deciding to run the other way.

"Hey, you can't take our head off, you're only allowed to do that to your own head!"

"That's right! Off with his head!"

"Yeah!"

A storm of them emerged, surrounding him. His flame thrower didn't work, if possible, all it did was make them stronger. If he wasn't wearing his beskar armor, he would have been dead by now.

About five of them was at his head, wrestling the helmet off.

"NO!" He quickly ducked, using his cape to cover his head and face just in time from anyone seeing him.

"Oohhh, why is this head hollow?" One of the Oranges peered into the helmet. "What a weird head!"

"Give it back!" Mando tried to see through the fabric of the cape, only making out shadows.

_"Fire Gang, halt!"_

Instantly, all the Oranges stopped touching him and froze. He heard footsteps and rustling of trees as the they made a path.

Emerging from the middle of the path was a figure. He couldn't make out who or what they looked like, but whoever it was, it was someone the Oranges had a deep respect for.

The figure stopped right in front of him. "All of you, leave us. Immediately."

He assumed the person was female, but he could be wrong. Their voice was full of authority and grace, the kind of voice that he would have heard leading an army of Mandalorians.

The Oranges slowly filed out at the order. When one seemed to hesitate, the person made a movement with a finger, the lone Orange leaving.

"Drop the helmet."

"But, Lady-"

"Drop it. Don't make me tell you again. You know the consequences of ignoring a direct command."

The Orange dropped it at her feet, scurrying away.

When all the Oranges were gone, Mando held his hand out to her, asking for the helmet. "Many thanks. Please turn around as I put it on."

The woman knelt on one knee in front of him, trying to see his face but unable to. "And why should I do that?"

He had expected the question, but not her tone. He expected her to be on guard, to be nervous. What he got instead was amusement and confidence. "This is The Way. If you are indeed my rescuer, then you will give me the privacy to put my helmet on. That you will respect The Way of The Mandalorian, to not show our face to a living soul."

She hummed in thought for a moment, then tossed the helmet to him, Mando catching it with ease. He slowly turned around, putting his helmet back on, then turning around to see the face of his rescuer.

She was, by far, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. And not just because of how she looked, but the way she carried herself with majesty. Her sharp, greed eyes pierced though the metal of his beskar armor, her lips upturned in curiosity and her shoulders relaxed in confidence.

She wore a jacket with a high collar, her dark hair swept back into a regal look. On her feet were thigh-high boots over a dark pair of pants and her hands, black leather gloves. As far as he could see, she had no weapon, but after meeting some of the creatures here, maybe she didn't carry one. Maybe she was a sorceress, like that king?

He gave her a nod. "I'll be on my way. Thank you for your help."

He walked past her, but she put her hand on his breastplate, stopping him from walking away. "I am here to help you."

Mando looked from her face to her hand on his chest. She was so close that had his helmet been off, their noses would have almost been touching. "Why?"

Was this another test? Some sort of seductress who would lead him astray from his mission? What was her motive?

She tilted her head so that he could see right into her eyes. "You are trying to rescue a child, yes?"

"Yes."

"Then you'll need all the help you can get. Especially from me, someone who is very familiar with The Labyrinth."

She turned away from him, and held her hands out, palms up. "So, are you coming?"

"How do I know that you won't try to kill me?"

"I didn't try to kill you while you had your back to me," she said with leisure, much more leisure than one should have when talking about killing someone. "Why would I do so now? How do I know that _you_ won't try to kill me?"

"Surely, you would know that the word of a Mandalorian is sacred?" He started to follow her, despite his doubts.

She looked over her shoulder. "I wouldn't know, I've never heard or met a Mandalorian until today. If your word is so sacred, why did you wish The Child away?"

Her words were poison disguised as curiosity. She meant to take that aim at him, to make him feel as furious as when that King recited the sacred words of his people.

At the same time, she was right. He had no one to blame but himself for saying such careless words. Still... "While true, I will not take responsibility for the actions of that king for taking The Kid away. He chose to do that."

She pushed a branch out of the way. "Are you blaming him?"

He grabbed her shoulder and turned her around, pushing her back against the tree. The blaster right under her chin and his hand on her hip to keep her in place. "You're twisting my words. I never said it was his fault for the words that I said, just that he took The Kid. Who are you? Do you work for him?"

What terrified him was how unconcerned she seemed by his movements, as if confident (or arrogant) that he was bluffing when he was not. He had killed many in his bounty-hunting travels.

She didn't try to fight him. Instead, she smiled. "I'm not twisting anyone's words, Mando. There's a lot you don't know about this place, about the magic. Magic that even The Goblin King must bow to."

He very lightly pushed the blaster further up her chin. Enough to remind her that her life was in her hands. "Then why don't you explain it to me?"

"That's why I'm here." She slowly lifted an arm, grabbing his hand that was holding onto the blaster. "But first, let me go. I haven't hurt you or made a move to do anything like that this entire interaction. I require that same respect from you."

They stared at each other for a second longer, the only noticeable movement was her chest rising and falling with each breath, her red lips parted to take those breaths.

He released her, the marks from his hands still fresh on her neck.

The woman started to walk, as if he didn't just pin her against the tree. "Come on, we don't have all day."

He trailed behind her. It was easier to see if she would hurt him if her back to him. "Who are you?"

The woman turned her head only slightly, to acknowledge his question. "I am called many things. You may call me Neala."

"Can you do magic? Are you a kind of sorcerer?"

She held her arm out, stopping him from going a step farther. Crouching down, she jumped off the step that they were at, signaling him to do the same. "Some rudimentary magic, yes. If you mean sorcerer to mean someone who can do magic, then sure."

"Then you are Jedi?" Mando asked hopefully. While he did not trust that Goblin King or whatever he was, he was willing to work with this woman to send The Kid back to where he belongs.

"Jedi?" Neala's voice betrayed her interest and obvious cluelessness of the term. "I've never heard of that term before. Won't you fill me on what that means?"

While disappointing, at least he knew that she wasn't a Jedi enemy. She may still be an enemy, but at least not a Jedi. The words of the Armorer echoed in his mind.

**_The songs of eons past tell of battles between Mandalore The Great, and of an order of sorcerers called Jedi that fought with such powers._ **

He thought to The Kid and his powers. "The Jedi, as far as I know, have some sort of powers, using their mind to control objects to float, or to even choke others from afar. They are an order of sorcerers."

They found themselves in a more castle-like section of the Labyrinth, stone floors and brick walls. "I've not heard of them, no. Why do you ask?"

She was telling the truth, he could tell by her eyes. This woman, while harder to read than most people, was still easier to read than a lot of diplomats who knew how to hide their faces.

Mando could also tell that she was hiding something. "I've never met anyone who was able to use magic before, and Jedi are the only kind that I know of that can wield magic."

"I see."

That wasn't any help. "So, what's the deal about this Labyrinth?"

"First and foremost," Neala said. "You must know this: not everything is as it seems in this place."

Neala explained that The Goblin King could not take children. It was the goblins who did, and they would only take them if the Wisher meant it. The Wisher then had the chance to become a Runner of the Labyrinth. Each Run was different, with some obstacles appearing at different times, depending on the Runner. Sometimes, two Runners would not have even encountered the same obstacle. The Goblin King or Queen (there were Goblin Queens in the past) who would oversee the Run.

"What's the point of it? Some sort of twisted game?" Mando asked.

"Of course," Neala said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The fae are a twisted kind, after all. But the other purpose is for you to prove that you truly want The Child back. Are you truly repentant? Are you strong enough to take The Child and raise it or to give them back to where they belong?"

"Then why is there only one person who has beaten this Labyrinth?"

Neala's eyes were faraway as he asked that question. "Because, Mando, few hardly mean to wish a child away unless they truly believed that the child is better off without them. The ones who do wish children away, they often tend to be in poverty or are children themselves. Many are overwhelmed by fear. Some just weren't strong enough to resist temptation, proving that they cared more for their fortunes than the child itself."

He recalled the Goblin King showing off his crystal in the beginning. "Like dreams?"

She nodded. "Yes. Dreams. Very vivid ones at that."

"Do you know what happens to the children?"

Neala got quiet. "They become the subject of the Goblin King."

No! The way that King laughed at his pain and taunted him, that was no place for a child. He would not allow that to happen to The Kid!

"Then I must get to the castle as soon as possible."


	4. Chapter 4

Neala absolutely proved herself useful.

She told him to avoid certain traps here and there, potentially stopping him from fighting monsters that would have just taken his time. She also had an air of command, telling certain creatures to leave them alone too.

For the most part, except for talking about The Labyrinth and The Kid, the two stayed silent, neither wanting to give too much information about themselves. That was fine by Mando, he never cared to know very many people closely, no matter how beautiful they may be.

They found that a wall was erected behind them, the only way forward was through two possible paths. "Another dead end?"

"The Labyrinth does that sometimes." Neala stood in front of the paths.

"That and glitter," Mando mumbled. Seriously, what's with all the glitter? Another reason to dislike The Goblin King: he left evidence of his powers all over the place, marking his territory so everyone would know that he owned the place.

The paths were guarded by two creatures, both holding a shield. The left one was red and the right was blue.

Mando looked at her. "Which path do I take?"

The two creatures woke up, grinning at the new Runner that was there with them today. "One path will lead you to the castle and the other..."

"To certain death!"

"But beware, one of us always lies and the other one always tells the truth!"

"A riddle?" Mando looked at Neala, looking very displeased at the prospect of wasting more time. It would be easier to just strike them down and go on his merry way.

Neala seemed to read his thoughts. "I know, but remember this Labyrinth is all about teaching you a lesson. To use skills other than battle and physical strength to get to your goal. Like I told you, the Labyrinth doesn't take kindly to intentional destruction to it."

He studied Neala again, seeing that for the first time since meeting her, she wasn't as cheery or as confident. If anything, she looked nervous and pale. "Why do you know so much about this?"

Her answer confirmed his suspicions.

"Because, Mando, I was once a Runner myself."

She quickly glanced away from him, regret in her eyes. Mando felt his heart pound at her revelation. This was what his future would look like, how the burden of the Kid being lost forever would haunt him.

He didn't know what to say to her.

Neala turned back, reigning in the emotions that were at the forefront of her mind. "That's why I want you to win, Mando. You've come so far already and I can tell that you truly care about The Child you wished away. It's been done before and it can be done again."

Her sincere smile made his heart skip a beat. It had been a long time since someone spoke to him with affection and sincerity as her. While he knew selfless people existed and had seen them in action, he hardly interacted with them himself.

He didn't realize how much he needed kind words from her as he did at that moment. Still speechless, he just gave her a simple nod.

Neala lifted up a finger, to point to the correct path...

...And promptly fell through the floor.

"No!" Mando tried to grab her, but the ground swallowed her up.

"She is dead!" One said.

"No, she's totally fine!" Said the other in contradiction.

_Damn it, son of Gungan._

* * *

Sarah found herself in an oubliette.

Gods, she hated falling into oubliettes.

Being the Champion of the Labyrinth and having living in the Goblin Kingdom for a few years now, she knew her way around the place. She knew where to avoid oubliettes and had even helped Mando from stepping into some of them.

There was only one way that an oubliette could have crawled under her feet so suddenly.

"Jareth?" She said his name nonchalantly instead of cowering in fear, even though she knew he would be more than pissed at her.

She had nothing to hide, not from him.

"Yes, Precious Thing?" His voice drawled lazily, taking his sweet time. She knew him well enough by now that she could practically taste the deep, seeded anger wrapped inside the feigned sweetness of his tone.

He was enjoying making her wait, she knew. After all, he was a fae and she had made the conscious decision to love then court him.

However, Sarah was not fae, and she was very impatient. "Where are you?"

Suddenly, she felt a harsh breath tease the side of her neck, arms and hands materializing around her waist. "Right here, Love."

Now she winced. More than falling in oubliettes, she hated when he called her "Love" while he was upset with her. It felt almost like a curse than a term of endearment.

His lips found her neck, a light nip from his sharp tooth causing goosebumps to travel all over her body.

That kiss was a reminder. A reminder that no matter what, he loved her. That he always would.

The scratch from his tooth was a reminder that as much as he loved her, she could still cross him.

It once made her nervous, but now, she knew that his kisses grounded him. They kept him from unleashing his full temper. Still, there were times like now that those kisses carried that hint of danger to them. A warning of who exactly he was and the powers he held.

If someone else had done what she had, he would punish them. For Sarah, Jareth would do anything for her, short of moving the very stars in the night sky.

"I woke up from my nap, unable to find where my fiancée went," he said between kisses, moving his lips down to her shoulders. "Imagine my surprise when I find her gone, betraying me as she flirts incessantly with a Runner instead of overseeing how the process works."

His grip around her tightened. Not painfully so, not even close. But it was tight enough to restrict her movement and make her feel uncomfortable.

"I did no such thing, Jareth. Jealousy is unbecoming of you."

"Really?" He licked her ear, Sarah not moving an inch, trying to remain unaffected. "If that is true, why did you put your hand on Mando's breastplate? Why did you wink at him and hold his hand a few times?"

Sarah chewed the inside of her cheek, trying to get the blood flow back in the logic side of her brain. His scent was overwhelming, not to mention his continued kisses and grip on her body.

"You did the same thing with Princess Ayla," she said bitterly, recalling their heated argument from that day.

Jareth loosened his grip slightly, his voice taking a different tone. Less angry, but still as tense. "I turned up my charm so she would convince her father to trade with the kingdom. It meant nothing, as you know."

She snorted.

"And, once I saw the hurt in your eyes, I never did it again. I stopped those tactics because you mean more to me than the stars in the sky."

Sarah put her hands on his, Jareth still cradling her waist. His kisses came softer, more deliberate than before. "Which is why, Sarah, I consider it a betrayal for you to help a Runner."

She sighed. "But why? There's no rule against me helping. If anything, as the Champion, wouldn't I _want_ to help someone run the Labyrinth?"

He huffed. "I am The King. I rule this land. You reside in this land and we are to be married. We are not strangers or enemies."

"You don't rule me." She turned around, holding his face in her hands. She could feel his emotions, even if she couldn't see his face. "No man rules me, not even you. That was our agreement. I follow the rules of the land but I am not under your command. I can't betray you as my king if I haven't taken oath to be your subject."

He spoke harshly once more. "Then you are are to be my equal, especially once we marry. You did not even discuss this with me and you are moving in a completely different direction. If we are partners, why are you going against me?"

She put her hands on his chest, trying to calm him back down. "Yeah, that's true."

"So why?" Jareth demanded. "Why did you help Mando?"

"Because of you." Sarah blurted the words out before she really thought through them.

Naturally, he was confused. "What?"

Her arms came to wrap around him, resting her cheek against his chest. Unable to resist such affection, Jareth lifted his arms up to hold her and to stroke her hair.

"Jareth, do you remember what you said when you proposed to me? What you said about how you were part of 'The Lost and the Lonely' before I came to your life?"

He was quiet for a moment.

"Yes." She felt him nod. "I told you that you gave me love without strings attached. Companionship. You taught me how to find the beauty in simple things. Best of all, you gave me yourself. You have enriched my life in a way that hasn't been enriched before and since meeting you. You are a blessing to me, Sarah."

He leaned down to kiss her, but she stopped him with her finger. "Except for romantic love, Grogu does all of that for Mando. Do you want to take that away from him?"

He groaned. "Trust you of all people to make me feel all sentimental."

This time, when he leaned to kiss her, Sarah returned it. She poured her love, her heart, her soul to him. She could taste the relief and the love he had for her back.

When they stopped, Jareth held the back of her head, foreheads touching. "You know my hands are tied due to the magic of the Labyrinth, that I must truly prove his heart and his desire to win. I am supposed to thwart anyone who helps the Runner. I understand you want to help him, but _I_ cannot. "

"Then don't." She rubbed her nose with his, feeling his lips curl in a smile. "Just do your job. Make sure that he means what he says."

"And you?" She could tell he was raising an eyebrow at her, even in the dark.

"I'll do what I want, Your Majesty." Sarah tangled her fingers on the chain on his amulet, pulling it slightly. "After all, like I said, I'm not your subject or your queen. We aren't married yet."

"This is the last time you can do this, Sarah," he warned her. "Once you are Goblin Queen, you will bound by the same magic as I. You will bend to the will of the Labyrinth or suffer the consequences. Consequences that I faced when you won, if you recall."

"I know," she replied, feeling a bit of guilt as she remembered what happened to Jareth all those years ago. "You don't have to tell me that twice. I don't want you to go through that again."

He was quiet for a moment. "Then you will forgive me for what I'm about to do. Remember that I love you, Sarah."

* * *

Mando made his choice. Whether it was a good choice or not, that was to be seen.

For the first time in his life, he feared death for reasons other than selfishness. Every living being wants to live. This was the first time that he feared the consequences of his death for other people.

What would happen to The Kid if he was dead? Would Moff Gideon or other bounty hunters come back to hurt him? He thought they had been safe with those villagers in that far off planet, and yet, they were still found.

And what of Neala and Sir Didymus? What happened to them?

Well, no going back now. He took a step forward.

Nothing happened.

Maybe he was on his way to victory after all.

He kept on trekking, emptying his mind of everything except for being hyper aware of his surroundings. The last thing he wanted was to be ambushed by those Oranges or some sort of stinking bog again. Having the ability to be hyper aware was a trait of the Mandalorians, for they were all trained from a young age.

Which was why it made absolutely zero sense as to how he ended up here without realizing that there was a change of scenery. One moment, he had been trekking through bright green hedges to dark hall of mirrors.

Every mirror was different. Some were plain, some were ornate. Some were small, some were large. Some were small and handheld. Some stretched from the floor, up to the sky, as if it was never ending. Some were flat and plain like normal mirrors, some were warped, giving his reflection a distortion.

He wasn't sure how he was able to even see without the help of his scanner. Light seemed to come from different places and he couldn't pin point where it was coming from.

His hand instinctively reached for the blaster. A voice in his head told him that it wouldn't help him at all, but he wasn't about to part it.

_Whoosh_

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something skirt by on the mirror.

The thing skirted again. He lifted his blaster and shot at the mirror, but instead of breaking it into pieces, the laser reflected off the surface, bouncing around on the other mirrors until it hit him straight in the chest.

"Argh!" Mando shouted, coughing slightly, once again grateful that the strong beskar metal protected him. By that time, the thing had skirted off the mirror and out of sight, a laugh echoing around him.

_No, not_ ** _on_** _the mirror,_ he thought in horror. **_In_** _the mirror._

He tried to remember what Neala had told him about the Labyrinth, that every obstacle was molded to test him. This must be another test, but what exactly was it testing?

Mando put his blaster away, taking out the two-pronged weapon from behind him that acted like an electrocuter.

He seemed to walk for hours, feeling lost in the endless twists and turns in the maze of mirrors. As he started to get used to the area, the mirrors shifted, showing him scenes from his past.

He saw himself as a child, carefree with his parents before they were taken away. He saw himself as a Foundling, learning to fight for the first time. He saw himself earn his first helmet then the different sequences of his life.

With the exception of his Mandalorian clan, no one was ever attached to him. Loyalty could be broken at any time with any amount of ruthlessness if it saved his own skin. He didn't question his bounties, didn't question if they were innocent or guilty. He just did his job.

That was, until he met The Kid.

He saw The Child reach out to him as he handed the tiny bounty over. He collected his beskar payment and left.

Of course, he had to go and take him back.

Everything in the mirror faded away except for him. The little one who turned everything upside down. The one he flew across the galaxy for, just to keep him safe. His large black eyes beckoned to Mando, his little feet trotting closer. He held his tiny hand out, squeaking in despair at seeing Mando on the other side of the glass.

Mando put his hand on the glass. He spoke with a softness that he didn't realize he could speak until the words left his lips. "It's okay, Kid. I'm here."

The Child looked at Mando's hand. He put his hand up too, their palms side by side, looking at The Mandalorian with hope.

Mando's hand sank through the glass like water. In a trance, he reached out, stroking the big ears tenderly. "I'm going to get you," he whispered to him. "I'm coming right now!"

He pushed in even more, his whole arm inside. Then the other. The Child smiled and gurgled in delight, walking closer.

Mando looked into his eyes again, feeling at peace. Feeling happy that he and The Kid would be safe from harm.

The Kid laughed again.

But... something was off.

Mando stopped what he was doing, noticing sharp, shark-like teeth on him. Below his green skin was something dark gray to black, almost charred.

This wasn't The Kid. It was an imitation of him.

Mando retreated back just in time for it to lunge at him, its teeth locked on the glass surface, trying to have him for dinner.

Whatever that thing was, it was twisting his mind, trying to get him to surrender, trying to lure him in to his death. Never before had his psyche been so tested and twisted, making him question what was real and what was fake.

Mando had enough of these games. "What am I supposed to do here?"

The monster in the mirror disappeared, leaving it completely blank.

Once again, he could hear and _feel_ the menacing chuckle, the chill that climbed up his spine. "Mando, have you forgotten the purpose of your journey here? How disappointing."

In every mirror was a shadow that he didn't realize was there until it moved. The shadows moved from one mirror to another seamlessly, gathering to the one directly on his left, a mirror that was a bit taller than him. It started at the bottom, building up to one large shadow.

It was then that Mando realized that it wasn't a shadow at all, but a hooded figure. Two hands appeared, pulling back the hood to reveal a mass of fine, blond hair that donned the face of The Sorcerer-King who was in charge of this place.

He was dressed a little differently than earlier that day. No armor, but still in all black. His shirt was loose and low-cut, showing off his pale chest and the amulet that rested there. He still had his heeled boots and a different, glittering blue cape that rested on his shoulders in a high collar. While he looked more comfortable than before, he looked no less malicious. "I must say, I am impressed. Less than a fourth of Runners would get this far, although I do believe that you had quite a bit of help."

"How is he?" Mando asked. He wanted, no, _needed_ to know. He wanted to ask about Sir Didymus and Neala, but his priority was The Kid.

The Goblin King put his hands on his hips and stalked forward. "Right to the point, aren't we?" He manipulated his hands, creating a crystal. "He is doing fine. See him here, thriving in my castle."

Indeed he was. He was trotting around with a bunch of those creatures Mando had seen in the beginning. Goblins, he realized now. At the moment, they were playing catch with him, singing off-key and having the time of their lives.

"He makes a great addition to my kingdom, don't you think?" The King asked him. "Playing as much as he want. Without a care in the world, surrounded by magic. Safe and sound."

Indeed, he could see that. "Yes, he does look happy."

"So, what do you say?" The Goblin King waved the crystal away. "Give up now, and I will take you to your ship and you can leave immediately. Your work is done."

It didn't sound so bad. He could be safe once and for all. The Kid, safe with magicians.

But...

He regarded The Goblin King with the utmost suspicion. "How do I trust you?"

The King lowered his head, smirking. "I am fae, you can always trust our words to not contain lies."

"A lie by omission is still a lie."

"You would do well to trust me," he seethed, his lips turning into a quick frown. "I know more than you think."

"Like what?" Mando threatened. "What do you know, _Your Royal Highness?_ "

The frown deepened at the mock. He moved forward, arms folded. "For starters, I know that your real name is Din Djarin."

Mando lifted his head up, blinking. "How do you know?"

Maybe Moff Gideon told him. Could The Goblin King be in league with him? Could he be grooming The Kid to be given to Gideon?

"The magic of the Labyrinth tells me, Djarin." He seemed to enjoy making him squirm. "With being the Goblin King, I am granted certain powers."

"Sounds like a load of Mudhorn shit to me," Mando growled. "Magic is what lets you know what my name is?"

"You have seen the power of magic, Mando," The King reminded him. "Why not power of thought? You have seen the workings of an unseen energy before, have you not?"

Mando had to admit, the thought was intriguing, and it's possible that he was telling the truth. But, as always, he was not taking chances.

The painful thought of leaving The Kid right now without saying goodbye was not relevant to his decision.

At least, that's what he told himself.

"No," Mando said with finality. "I'm going to go to your castle, and I'm going to get him back. Fair and square. I will beat you at your own game and easily."

The Goblin King pursed his lips so tightly, all Mando could see was a thin line. "Very well. If you are so arrogant to think that you will win against one like me, so be it."

He put his hands together to make yet another crystal. This crystal transformed into a snake, slithering across The King's gloved hand.

Without warning, he threw the snake at the mirror. Instead of stopping at the glass like all the other creatures, it went through and landed right on Mando's chest.

The snake grew, becoming larger and larger. From other mirrors, more snakes appeared, hissing and lunging at him, surrounding him with darkness.

* * *

Jareth returned to the throne room, feeling intense fury.

How _dare_ that man call him "Your Royal Highness" instead of "Your Majesty" in such a mocking way? How _dare_ he become so arrogant as to be sure of his own victory? Such insolence.

Poor Grogu was watching intensely at the crystal that showed what Mando was doing. He whined in distress, unable to take his eyes off as the snakes descended upon him.

Jareth waved the crystal away, the little one gasping and turning to see him.

"That's a little too much excitement for one day, Grogu," he said sympathetically. He picked him up and together, the two walked to the throne.

Upon that throne was Sarah, asleep with Jareth's cape draped over her. He knew that she was going to give him an earful once she woke.

It was one thing to have creatures like Ludo, Sir Didymus, and Hogwash aid the Runners. Runners like Sarah, as bad as it was. But to have Sarah herself help Mando as much as she did, that was too much for him.

During Sarah's Run, Jareth had turned a blind eye to many things. He was charmed by her, as much as he loathed to admit it at the time. Here was an adolescent young woman, still a child but on the cusp of womanhood who was whining and saying self-centered things all the time. And yet, she was fierce and kind, her heart in the right place as she trekked for her brother.

He had never been so intrigued by someone, especially someone who found him attractive yet did not hesitate to tell him off and to choose her crying brother over him. He wanted to give her the adventure that she so desired, exhausting himself.

For months, he was fatigued and at times, violently ill, as were the consequences of anyone defeating the Labyrinth.

Already, he was tired from doing so much magic. He looked at the clock, glad that only one hour was left. He turned back to Grogu. "You're going to be mine in a little more than an hour, how do you feel?"

Grogu whimpered, looked at Jareth with sadness.

"I know you're sad about Mando," he rubbed his back kindly. "I understand. He did his best. Maybe one day, you can find him again when you are of age."

Grogu leaned against Jareth, still feeling sad and alone. His eyes pleaded to Jareth to let Mando come to him.

Grogu was already 50 years old, due to his species aging slowly. For him to be of age, it could take much, much longer for him to be able to reunite with Mando.

Jareth put him on the throne and looked into his eyes. "Listen to me. I know you are scared, but don't be. We will make sure that you're with a family who will take care good care of you. Where you will play and be happy. Where you are safe from harm. You are under my protection, as with any of my subjects. Alright?"

Grogu still looked fearful, but much less so. He played with the little toy that Sarah had given him earlier.

"And, as for Mando," Jareth said slowly, knowing that this was more important than anything else he had said so far. "He will be fine. I will not allow any serious harm to come to him. If he is harmed at all, my healers will take care of him. I swear to you, Grogu. You will be taken care of, I will personally see to it."

He relaxed into Jareth, convinced. His eyes, on the other hand, looked out into the sky, as if begging for Mando to please come.

Grogu had no real reason to want to be with Mando. The bounty hunter had a life unfit for a child. No stability. Very little play. A lot of witnessing to violence. Attempted kidnapping. It was not a place Grogu would thrive.

The Mandalorian was trying to give him to his own kind anyway.

That meant, the only reason Grogu would want to be with Mando was because of their bond. It was one of the worst parts of Jareth's job as Goblin King, seeing the poor children look scared and unsure as they were thrust into a new environment without the people who cared for them for so long.

"I know it is difficult," Jareth reiterated. "I will do what I can. My magic prevents me from doing many things."

Grogu seemed to understand, at least somewhat. He trotted off, playing with his new toys again, taking a particular interest in the crystal that Jareth gave him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one more chapter! Thank you to everyone who is reading this. All reviews are appreciated, thank you!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! Thank you for reading, it means a lot to me! I hope that you will leave a review. Lots of love!

"WAAAAAKE UUUUUUUUP!"

Mando sat up straight, groaning as his head continued to ring. It hurt more than the time he fought that one creature that nearly drowned him. "What is happening?"

He slowly sat up, finding himself under the shade of a tree. His vision cleared, the three blurry blobs piecing together to form Sir Didymus, with Ambrosius by his side, surrounded by the carcass of snakes.

"Welcome back, my Mandalorian Brother!" Sir Didymus cried. "I have been looking for thee for hours!"

"Didymus!" Mando didn't realize how much he missed him until now. "What happened?"

"Well, I was separated from thee," he recounted. "Then, I found myself in the mountain caves! Sometimes, the oubliettes can send one the strangest of places if one falls. Worry not, Mando! I escaped with the strength and perseverance of the strongest of-"

"Look, I'd love to hear it, but we're on a time crunch, remember?" Mando got up, stretching. As happy as he was to see him, he was still looking straight on to his goal.

"Oh, of course!" Sir Didymus said with understanding. "Where was I? Oh yes. I eventually found my way back. I saw thee fighting valiantly with all those snakes, my goodness! Those sword skills! I am deeply impressed, although I see that thou didn't quite use a sword. But even a warrior like you was overwhelmed with so many."

Mando got up, starting to slowly walk, Didymus climbing on Ambrosius and following him. "You did quite a lot alone, but thou was suffocated and fainted! I could not let my Brother die, that would be against the code of the knighthood to not help a brother in need! Thy large pitchfork was left on the side and I pulverized the rest of them myself!" He turned to Ambrosius. "While my noble steed is usually, well, noble, today he was not and I had to do it alone!"

Mando looked back at Sir Didymus. When he first met the knight, he thought of him as this pesky little thing, feisty but not anything that he couldn't handle. He supposed that he was stronger than he seemed. "You did that? By yourself?"

"Absolutely, Brother! When I found thee on the ground, I was glad that it did not take me long to wake thee. I almost took thy helmet off-"

"Don't." Mando swiftly turned around, putting a finger in front of Sir Didymus's face. "Never, EVER take off my helmet under ANY and all circumstances, do you understand me?"

Sir Didymus looked a bit embarrassed at being yelled at. "Of course, if that is what thoust prefer. Might I ask why?"

"If a living person sees me without my helmet, I can't ever put it back on," he explained.

"But why?"

"It's my culture. My people. It's what we do. This is The Way."

"Ah, I see," he nodded, looking quite solemn. "It is the code of thy people."

Mando felt relieved that he understood. He was used to jeers from people who did not, so it was quite refreshing. "Yes, it is. Now, do you know how far we are from the castle?"

In response, Sir Didymus trotted past him, the trees seeming to part for them. "There."

Indeed it was, gleaming under the sun.

* * *

"Very good!" Jareth praised Grogu as he was teaching him how to play checkers. "You have improved quite a bit since you came here."

Grogu clapped, gurgling in happiness. Then, his stomach growled.

"We can't have that!" Jareth picked him up, absolutely enchanted by such an adorable child. "Why don't you and I go to the kitchen and see what food is there, hmm?"

Grogu's ears perked up at the prospect of food.

The moment he and Grogu left the throne room, Sarah opened an eye. Gods, she was definitely going to give her fiancé a piece of her mind after all this was over.

After the whole oubliette thing, he put a sleeping spell on her, intending to put her out until the end of Mando's run. Unfortunately, he forgot that Sarah was less susceptible to magic than a normal human, so his "dosage" was a bit off.

She sat in the throne, knowing that she had a very limited amount of time before Jareth came back. "Hey, all of you, listen up!"

They continued kicking each other at first, until she whistled loudly. Immediately, they stopped and stared at her in silence.

"That's better," she said. "Now listen carefully, when the Runner comes through Goblin City, don't cause chaos and destruction like you did before. Remember how mad Kingy was?"

They gasped collectively, remembering how he had made sure each of them were hung over the Bog for at least two hours as punishment.

"So, don't do that again, understood?"

"Understood, Lady!" They all said, though not all at the same time.

"And one more thing." She crossed one leg over the other, putting her arms on both of the arm rests of the throne, looking every bit like the queen that she would become. "Get Hoggle. Tell him that I need him."

* * *

Hoggle knew that he made a vow to Sarah, to be there whenever she needed him, all she had to do was call.

That didn't change the fact that he was a bit reluctant to go against Jareth. Again.

After Sarah had won, Jareth didn't really do anything. He just told him, Ludo, and Didymus to clean up the place.

But, that was the scary part. He wouldn't say anything, just psychologically tortured him by anticipation. Hoggle realized that he should have known that the reason Jareth didn't do anything was because of Sarah. It was so obvious that The King was green with jealousy, all googly-eyed over her. If he hurt them, she would have never agreed to court him.

If Hoggle and the rest hadn't been friends with her, Jareth would have probably stuck them in an oubliette forever.

"New friend?" Ludo asked beside him.

"Something like that, she says that we need to meet Didymus," Hoggle explained to the friendly beast. "Then we gotta make sure to help him. Divert him around Humongous."

Meanwhile, Mando and Sir Didymus were crossing over some sort of land with an insane amounts of loose rocks all over the place. It got so bad, at one point, Ambrosius had to be carried by Mando. The distance to the castle wasn't very far, but considering how many loose rocks and the hills that they had to carefully climb up and down, it was taking them much longer than it would have otherwise.

"I don't know if we're going to make it at this point," Mando looked to the castle. "Not if we keep going this slow. I wish my jet pack was working."

"Be thou careful of wishes, Brother Mando," Sir Didymus said gravely. "Wishes are not to be taken lightly here.

"Yeah, no need to remind me of _that_ ," he mumbled.

"Didymus!"

Mando and Sir Didymus looked out to the bottom the hill, seeing a giant furry creature with two horns and another very small person next to it. The person seemed to be the size of a child.

"Brother Hoggle? Ludo?" Sir Didymus said in awe. "Why, it is so good to see thee both, my brothers!"

"These are the other two that helped the Champion to win?" Mando asked, feeling hopeful again.

"Yes! Brother Hoggle is great at directions and is familiar with The labyrinth. Brother Ludo can control rocks, among other things. He looks fierce but is quite the gentle beast." Sir Didymus puffed his chest out in pride.

"Get down quickly, then Ludo can clear the path!" Hoggle called out.

Mando and Sir Didymus got down as quickly as they could, although they had a few close falls with Sir Didymus tripping and Mando grabbing the back of his shirt. Once they got down, Sir Didymus gave some hasty introductions before Ludo did his work.

Mando watched with amazement. He thought that The Kid's strange powers in stopping the Mudhorn was amazing already, but this creature rolled thousands of huge rocks and stones out of the way, some the size of a man, clearing a path for them all.

He had to ask. "Ludo, are you a Jedi?"

"Jedi? No. Me friend to Mando!" Ludo said warmly.

"He is a Rock-Caller, Brother Mando," Sir Didymus clarified. "He can only move rocks, not use those other magical powers that you mentioned to me."

"What in the Underground is a Jedi?" Hoggle looked a bit unsure at the Mandalorian, eyeing his armor from head to toe. "Are ya even a real person or a robot?"

Well, he tried. "I am no droid, I am a person. This is my armor." The idea that anyone could mistake him for a droid made him shudder.

"We must make haste, Brother!" Sir Didymus said with gusto, waving around his stick. "Let us go into Goblin City with battle! I am not afraid to die!"

"No!" Hoggle grabbed his staff from him. "We are going to go around the city, through the tunnels."

"What cowardice!" Sir Didymus huffed. "We are warriors going into battle!"

Hoggle face-palmed. "You know that the tunnels are faster."

"But The Cleaners, Brother. The Cleaners!" Sir Didymus shuddered. "To fight goblins is one thing, but the metal blades coming at you?"

"Don't worry, Sarah says that we should be safe from that right now," Hoggle nodded, quite sure. "Besides, ya know that of all people, I'm the one who hates the tunnels the most, after what happened last time."

"Who is this Sarah, might I ask?" Mando inquired. Was this the same Sarah who was Champion? Could he really be so lucky?

"She is the most noble and high lady," Sir Didymus answered. "She is Our Fair Maiden, a friend!"

"Sarah friend," Ludo agreed.

"And," Sir Didymus added. "She is the one and only Champion of the Labyrinth. Aside from those who reside in it, she is the one who knows it the best. Maybe even more, as she has taken the time to speak to different inhabitants of it."

Well, with a recommendation like that, Mando felt better. "Well, if we can avoid fighting people, let's go to the tunnels."

* * *

Jareth and Grogu came back to the throne room, both in high spirits. That is, until Jareth saw Sarah sitting in his throne, wide awake, sitting in a power pose. "Sarah."

"Hello, Jareth." She said his name with resentment.

"Precious," he sighed. "You know I did what I had to do."

"By knocking me out?" She stood up, lips pursed. "You are such an-"

"Language, Love. We have very impressionable minds here." He gestured to the goblins and to Grogu, who he had put down and was waddling around the throne room nervously, away from the arguing couple.

"Besides," Jareth continued, trying to reign in his anger as much as he could. "I had little choice in the matter."

Grogu slowly peeked from behind a goblin, seeing the crystal that was used to keep track of Mando. He waddled to it, watching closely as he and three others were in some sort of tunnel.

"Really?" Sarah's voice rose higher. "We talked about it! I understood how hurt you were!"

"And you would have stopped helping our Runner, _Neala_?" Jareth demanded.

She didn't say anything, just glared angrily at him.

Jareth's frown deepened at her silence. "No, because you still see me as an enemy, just as you did during _your_ Run!"

Grogu watched as Mando and the giant beast tried to smash a gate open, but to no avail. It would take too long for him to bust out if he just used his normal tools.

The small child closed his eyes, stretching his hand out, concentrating. He sensed his deep bond with The Mandalorian, finding where he was. Then, he sensed the other three and the gate in front of them. With a push, Grogu grunted, the gate busting open.

 _"Woah, did you see that?"_ Mando asked the tall creature next to him. _"It opened without us touching it!"_

"Enemy? You're my fiancé!" Sarah facepalmed, massaging her temple. "I don't see you as an enemy, I know you're not my enemy or Mando's. I told you why I'm helping him."

"If you had not known the intricacies of what goes on in my job, I would understand," he said. "But, you know that if he wins, it would cause me to be physically weak. You say you love me, but you choose a Runner over me."

The two were quiet for a moment, the goblins watching intensely and silently. The only sound was coming from the crystal.

 _"Almost there, just through a few more turns and we'll be right at the castle!"_ Hoggle said excitedly.

 _"Like our Fair Maiden says, piece of cake!"_ Sir Didymus trotted happily. _"Come, Ambrosius."_

Jareth's head whipped to the crystal. Then back to Sarah, who was looking much less angry and more concerned. "Oh, a piece of cake?"

He hated that phrase.

"Jareth." Sarah said with a warning. "Don't."

The Goblin King gave her a sinister smile.

And snapped his fingers.

Grogu made a noise of worry as the whirring noise from the crystal grew louder.

 _"Damn it, Didymus!"_ Hoggle screamed. _"Not The Cleaners!"_

 _"NOOOOO!"_ Ludo roared.

 _"You said they wouldn't be here!"_ Mando growled at Hoggle.

Sarah and Grogu watched in horror while Jareth laughed at the party of five screaming as they ran away from the metal blades swirling after them.

When it looked like they got to a dead end, Hoggle pointed up at a ladder. _"This way! It'll lead us in front of the castle doors!"_

Jareth watched with great interest as Mando lifted each of them up on the ladder before himself. Almost at the last moment, when everyone was safe except for Mando, The Cleaners should have sliced him up.

But it stopped.

Jareth and Sarah watched as Grogu was straining, holding on, using his powers to hold The Cleaners from spinning as Mando climbed up the ladder, closing the hatch behind him. As soon as he was safe, the Little One let go, The Cleaners busting as it hit the wall. Grogu fainted, falling over from the exertion.

Sarah went to his side, carrying him in her arms. "Grogu, hey, are you okay?"

He opened his eyes slightly, closing them again.

Sarah glared at Jareth again. "What the hell was that?"

"Don't act like I'm some kind of murderer," Jareth said cooly. "You know that I would have stopped it from killing anyone. From the time I have been king, no one has died running the Labyrinth."

She did know this, but the scene was just too horrifying. "Poor Grogu. I'm sorry you had to see that, buddy."

He just snuggled into Sarah.

"Well, if you'll excuse me," Jareth took Grogu in his arms without remorse, knowing that he had seen worse with Mando. "I have a certain Mandalorian to meet with."

* * *

"You have to go there by yourself," Hoggle said.

"Why?" Mando looked up at the staircase.

"We dunno, but it's what Sarah did. And she's the Champion."

Mando took a step forward. "Then I must go alone as this is The Way of your Runners and your Champion."

"Yes," Sir Didymus said solemnly. "But, Brother Mando, should you need us,"

"Need us," Ludo echoed.

"Just call," Hoggle ended.

Mando felt a surge of emotions. Such strange creatures who helped him, their loyalty and motivations pure. If only he could thank Neala too. He hoped she was okay.

He turned around. "Thank you all. Thank you for helping me find The Kid. He means more to me than I could have ever imagined."

It was the first time that he had said such a thing out loud. He had tried to deny it for so long, but the feeling just blossomed into his heart. He wasn't sure what he would do, how he would forgive himself if The Kid was hurt in any way.

"May the stars allow us to meet again," Mando inclined his head to them.

* * *

He reached the top of the stairs, almost falling over at seeing what the room looked like. All around the room were endless stairs, some upside-down and sideways.

"Looking for me?"

Mando shot his blaster above his head where the voice came from.

" _Tsk tsk tsk_ , try again, Mando."

He looked to the side and saw The Goblin King defying gravity, standing like a bat underneath some stairs. "So, you've made it this far, have you?"

It wasn't easy for someone to get under Mando's skin. He had met too many unsavory people to feel sensitive about their goading. But, somehow, this Goblin King seemed to know how to push every single one of his buttons. "I've made it to the center of the Labyrinth, to your castle. Now hand him over."

The King jumped, somehow landing right next to Mando, another reminder that physics was optional in this world.

"You were quite admirable, letting everyone else leave before yourself," he said, ignoring Mando's words. "Now, are you worthy of taking The Child back?"

"Better than him staying with you," he spat. He wanted to actually spit at him, only the consequences of removing his helmet was keeping him from doing so.

"Oh?" The King raised an eyebrow. "With me, he would be safe. He would thrive. Why would he be safe with you? You just run around, finding bounties of whoever you want. Some may be innocent. Some may not be. You let him see violence, not giving him enough space to play and to be the child that he deserves to be."

"I am taking him to his kind, The Jedi," Mando said, although he could feel the tiny voice in the back of his mind questioning everything. Could he be telling the truth? Would The Kid be safe with The Goblin King? There was no guarantee that he could even find a Jedi to hand The Kid over to. "They would know how to train him, how to keep him safe."

"Then why was he all alone without protection in the first place? It seems to me that The Jedi did not do a particularly good job of caring for him, if he's able to become so lost that he came into your arms."

Mando shook his head, trying to clear the doubts away from his mind. Even if The Kid could be safe with the Goblin King, he had no idea if he would. He wouldn't even be able to see him, from what Neala told him. "I don't have time for you."

He used a metal staff that he had found, striking at The King.

The King was faster than he had expected. He had his own staff, blocking his hit.

In a whirl of fury, The Mandalorian and The Goblin King fought each other. Mando tried to use his other weapons, but The King evaded them easily. Mando found that it was most effective to use his staff, to get up close and personal rather than relying on using weapons for long-range with this person.

They were upside-down, sideways, sometimes The King would jump from one ledge to another. Having faith in his armor, Mando lunged after him, finding that he had the same power over gravity as The King.

The King tried to go for Mando's feet, but he jumped. Mando swung at his head but he ducked just in time. Over and over, they swung at each other, leaping and Mando getting confused with where anything was at.

Then, one little voice was all it took to distract Mando.

_"Ga!"_

"Kid?" Mando turned, his heart beating faster than it had ever beat.

Indeed, he was there, chasing after a crystal that bounced sideways then up. He looked up at Mando, his ears perking up excitedly.

_*CLANG*_

"Ugh!" Mando fell a step, being so distracted that The King was able to hit him on the helmet. Now on his back, Mando quickly took up his staff and fought him again, the end going right through The King's heart.

Except, it didn't?

As if he was a hologram, The King was unaffected by it. If this was a normal person, Mando would have assumed it was a hologram, but he wasn't so sure anymore.

The King snapped his fingers, his own staff turning into a spear, the metal surprisingly making a dent in the beskar armor as he poised it at Mando's chest. "I'll propose my earlier deal to you again, Mando. If you agree leave right now, without The Child, I will take you back to your ship, safe and sound. Your ship will be fixed. And, as I said, I will keep my word that he will be safe in my care." He threw the stick to the side, taking all threats away from Mando.

The space between him and The Kid was incredibly far away, even in the safety of his armor.

Mando looked up at The King. The answer should be obvious, shouldn't it? Just forget about The Kid and leave. It should be so easy to.

But it wasn't. Not for him. Not anymore.

He chose to leap.

The Kid cried at seeing him fall, running after him as fast as his tiny feet could carry him.

In the throne room, the clock chimed thirteen times, signaling the thirteenth hour.

* * *

He was floating. At least, that was the best way that he could describe it.

All meaning of space and time fell away as he was floating. There was something strange, yet comforting about it. He could have floated forever.

The first thing he felt after he was done floating was that his feet touched solid ground. It took him a moment to get himself together.

The second thing he felt was something grabbing onto his leg. His large eyes looked at him, absolutely elated to reunite with him again.

"Hey you." Mando picked The Child into his arms. "You okay?"

It was then that he saw his ship. All fixed.

"He should be, considering how I was the one who was looking after him."

That voice.

Neala.

He lowered The Kid, seeing Neala, Sir Didymus, Ambrosius, Hoggle, and Ludo.

"Neala," he said with near reverence. "You're alright."

He couldn't have been more pleased.

"Neala?" Hoggle looked up at her, giving her a look. "Since when did you go by that?"

Mando looked at her, waiting for an explanation.

Neala, or whatever her name was, folded her arms, smiling. "I have not lied to you, Mando, but I did keep some things from you. Things you have kept from me too. Neala is one of my names, yes. It means Champion."

Champion.

Now, everything made sense. "You are Sarah."

Her smile grew. "I am."

He did not ask her why she didn't tell him everything. After all, like she said, he kept his secrets too and didn't go by his given name. He gave a nod. "Thank you for helping me find my way, for helping me get him back." He lifted The Kid up just slightly. "He could have been with that Goblin King forever, who knows what would have happened."

She smirked a little. "You're very welcome. As for The Child though, he would have been safe. The Goblin King can be an... interesting character, but I know that he's a kind, wonderful person with a big heart. He would have kept his word. He means everything that he says."

That was surprising to Mando. "And how would you know this?"

Sarah looked a bit shy at what she was going to say next. "He is my fiancé."

"What?" Mando balked. "You are engaged to him?" He looked at the other three. "You guys didn't think to tell me this?"

All of them shrugged. Sir Didymus spoke first. "Brother Mando, I did not think it as pertinent information! Our Lady is our future queen, yes, but her identity does not rest with her relationship status."

"Ya know that the rat is scary, right?" Hoggle mumbled. "Ya can leave but I have to deal with him for life."

Mando sighed loudly. "Whatever. Neala, I mean, _Sarah_ , why didn't _you_ tell me?"

"Would you have believed that I wanted to help you if you knew who I was engaged to?" She raised an eyebrow.

Good point. "Why did you really help me?"

She looked at The Kid, walking over to pat his head. "I told you the truth, it was because I know that you meant it when you said you wanted him back. I know what was like, I wished my brother away when I was an adolescent myself. You have proved yourself to be noble, to care for others."

She stepped back, looking authoritative once more. "You are now a Champion of the Labyrinth as well as I. With that comes protection of the Goblin King and Queen, providing that you of course, do not attempt to hurt us or our kingdom in any way. You and The Child may come here to stay even, and we will provide you with a sanctuary. If you have an affinity for magic, then you can take lessons here too. I say this as the future queen. I know that my fiancé will do the same. You may not think that he cares or will get along with you, but he will respect you for no other reason than that of your position. And if there's anything I know of him, is that he keeps his word. Even your ship should be fully restored."

Mando shook his head. "This is not the place for me. It might have worked for The Kid, but he's too powerful and needs to be with his kind who can train him and take care of him. However, I appreciate the hospitality and for the kind words. He inclined his head in thanks. "Congratulations on your future marriage and queenship. I hope that you will be happy."

He definitely wasn't sure about that last part, how could anyone be happy with that kind of person who knew exactly how to piss everyone off?

Sarah inclined her head, looking quite amused. "Thank you, and I will. He's a good man, I promise. He just has a part to play when it comes to Wished-Aways. Safe journeys, Mando. Good luck finding the Jedi."

Hoggle handed him some food. "For your long journey."

Sir Didymus shook his hand. "Whether we meet again or not, thou art my Brother in arms for as long as we both shall live."

Everyone waved goodbye as Mando entered the Razor Crest, The Child in his arm. He put him in his seat, still seeing the group wave at them as they flew out and into the stars.

"That was a wild ride, wasn't it, kid?" He turned around, putting the ship in autopilot. How glad he was that everything was in working order.

In The Little One's hands was a sphere. He was turning it around in his hands.

"What's that you got there?" Mando looked closely. It was clear, with his helmet reflecting in it.

A crystal.

Like the ones the Goblin King uses.

He took it from The Kid. "Nope, no way. We are not dealing with some weird, magic voodoo thing. It may even have a tracker on it." As kind as Sarah and the rest were, one couldn't be too careful.

At the saddened eyes and dropping ears, Mando felt bad. "I'll get you some more things to play with. In the meantime, you can play with this."

He unscrewed the little metal ball on top of one of his controllers, dropping it into his hand. The Child smiled at him, admiring the little reflection. He looked down at the planet, at the kingdom with the nice King and Lady, missing the Goblins he played with but was glad to be back with The Mandalorian who would visit every star system just to find him.

* * *

Sarah gently knocked on the door to their bedchamber. "Jareth?"

The door opened itself. She stepped in, carrying a tray with some things on it. "Hey."

Jareth was in the bed, looking very uncomfortable. He was flushed with a fever. "Hello."

At least he was talking to her. She went to his side and took the wet cloth from the tray, dabbing at his forehead. "If you're hungry, I have some soup. How does that sound?"

He nodded, groaning a bit. While he had experienced broken bones and other injuries, illnesses were rare in fae.

She brushed his long hair away from his eyes, smoothing it over. In an act of affection, she brushed her thumb gently down his cheek, her heart squeezing in pain to see him like this.

Jareth reached up to hold her hand, pressing it to his cheek. "Sarah, I'm not upset at you. Not anymore. I understand."

Sarah continued to dab his forehead and face with the cloth. "Maybe so, but I want you to know that I didn't mean to choose Mando over you, that wasn't my intention," she said quietly. "I just want Mando to have someone to love, you know?"

Jareth opened his eyes again, just slightly. "Yes, you said that."

"And," she continued. "In my mind, I was thinking that should you win, he wouldn't have anyone. He would be alone. Should he win, you'd recover and I can take care of you and be by your side."

She kissed his cheek. "I will always be by your side. You'll never be alone. Not ever again."

Jareth swallowed. "I know. He was lucky to have you to help him. And lucky to have someone like Grogu to bond with him. He couldn't have asked for a better guide in the Labyrinth, just as I couldn't have asked for a better queen. In not too long, I will call you my wife."

Sarah kissed his lips, feeling them burn from his fever. "I love you, Jareth. If anything really bad would have come over you if you had lost, you know I would have chosen you, right?"

"I know, Love, I know." He kissed her knuckles. Carefully, he got up into a sitting position so that he could eat.

"I have a question," Sarah said. "Why didn't you tell Mando what Grogu's name was? I didn't tell him either, but only because you didn't."

Jareth tilted his head, smiling at her. "I didn't tell him because it wasn't my place to. It might hurt him to learn it from someone he considered an enemy. But don't worry, he'll find out soon enough."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Neala - Means Champion in Irish (apparently? If I'm wrong let me know, I found it on the internet when searching for names that mean champion), female version of the name Neil.
> 
> The scene with Mando's staff going through Jareth was inspired by the scene where Jareth walks through Sarah in the film, but after writing it, I realized that it was also like the scene in The Last Jedi where Kylo Ren/Ben Solo fights with Luke and his lightsaber goes through him. That was unintentional of me but a cool coincidence nonetheless. I wish I could take credit for the parallel but I can't lol.
> 
> In this head canon, Sarah didn't win when she told Jareth he had no power over her. She won when she leapt from that last step to save Toby, which is why there's no Jareth in his last costume trying to seduce Mando (the thought is kind of hilarious actually, maybe I should have added it in, oh well). And, in my mind, Jareth kinda wanted Mando to win too after Sarah's little speech to him about having someone to love. He doesn't say so, but that's what I like to think.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed the story! Lots of love to you all and thank you for reading. Reviews are always appreciated :)


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